East Texas A&M University Athletics

Richie Bruister was named A&M-Commerce's first ever head softball coach at a press conference on July 17, 2013. He was given the unique challenge of building the Lions' softball program from the ground up as A&M-Commerce began competition in the spring of 2015. An experienced coach with a strong emphasis on both academic and athletic performance, Bruister brings with him an impressive resume with a great deal of experience with both the Lone Star Conference and the North Texas area.

The Lions completed the COVID-shortened 2020 season with a 16-7 record overall, and a 5-3 record in Lone Star Conference play. The Lions never lost to an unranked team during the 2020 year. The Lions finished the season as the second ranked team in the nation in fielding percentage, while also ranking in the top 25 in the nation in earned run average as well as walks and hits per innings pitched. It is the third consecutive season that the Lions have been among the top fielding teams in the nation, as they finished 2018 ranked 11th in fielding percentage and led Division II in fielding during the 2019 year. The Lions led the LSC in fielding percentage and lowest team ERA during the season.
 
The Lion pitching staff finished the year with a 2.55 ERA, with 171 strikeouts while holding hitters to a .182 batting average. The Lion offense hit .288 on the year, averaging 4.5 runs per game with a .369 on base percentage as well as 47 stolen bases.

The 2019 Lions hosted the South Central Regional Tournament for the first time, finishing the season with a 40-16 record and the No. 16 national ranking. They won 40 games for the second consecutive season, finishing in second place in the Lone Star Conference and second place in the South Central Regional rankings, both program bests. The team advanced to the LSC Championship game for the first time in program history and hosted the NCAA Regional Tournament for the first time in program history.
 
A&M-Commerce had one of the top defenses in the nation, leading all of Division II in fielding percentage. The team also finished in the top-15 in the nation in home runs per game, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, scoring, and shutouts. The pitching staff set single-season records for lowest ERA, lowest opponent batting average, fewest walks allowed, most strikeouts, and most shutouts. The team also had several individuals earn accolades. Emily Otto became the first pitcher in program history to earn an All-America award, being named Third Team All-American by the D2CCA. She was also named D2CCA South Central Region Pitcher of the Year and the LSC Pitcher of the Year. She and Madison Schaefer were named to both the D2CCA and NFCA All-Region teams. A total of nine Lions were named to the LSC All-Conference teams and four players received Gold Glove awards.

The 2018 season was the most successful season to date for the Lion softball program, with the team reaching the South Central Super Regional Championship series after the team won its first Regional Championship. The Lions finished with a 42-12 record, the most wins in program history. It included winning streaks of 13 games and 16 games (the two longest win streaks in program history). The team finished 23-7 in the Lone Star Conference, placing third, their highest finish in program history. The team earned its first ever top-25 ranking in the NFCA Coaches Poll and was nationally ranked in all 13 polls during the season, reaching as high as 6th in the nation. The team would go on to win its first ever LSC Tournament game and advanced to the South Central Regional Tournament for the second time in program history. The Lions defeated No. 3 Colorado Mesa on its home turf and also knocked off LSC rival Tarleton State twice to win the South Central Region 1 Championship. The team would go on to fall to Angelo State in the Super Regional series.

Bruister's 2018 squad was one of the top offensive teams in the nation. They led all of Division II in on-base percentage, finished second in home runs per game, third in slugging percentage, fourth in scoring average, sixth in batting average and seventh in stolen bases. The Lions led the LSC in steals for the fourth consecutive year and led the conference scoring, on-base percentage and RBIs and finished second in batting average, slugging percentage, fielding percentage and home runs.

Under Bruister, Mariah Jameyson became the best catcher in Division II softball and one of the best hitters in the country. She was named D2CCA National Player of the Year, Fastpitch News National Player of the Year and NFCA Catcher of the Year and was named a First Team All-American by four different organizations (NFCA, D2CCA, FPN, CoSIDA). She was also a top-10 finalist for NFCA National Player of the Year. She led the nation in on-base percentage and was second in batting average, slugging percentage and RBIs, third in total bases, fourth in walks and fifth in homers. She was also the first player in program history to be named LSC Player of the Year. Kinsie Hebler also shined for the Lions, earning NFCA and D2CCA First Team All-America honors as designated player. She was third in the nation in RBIs, sixth in home runs and 10th in slugging percentage and total bases. She was a top-25 finalist for NFCA National Player of the Year. Hebler and Jameyson were joined by Ciera Nunez and Baylea Higgs as All-Region selections. All four of those players were named First Team All-Conference. Emily Otto won Second Team All-Conference honors and Kayla Kilcrease was a Third Team All-LSC selection. Otto, Nunez and Higgs were named Gold Glovers.

During the last game of the 2017 regular season, the program reached its 100th win in just its three-year history, becoming the fastest startup program to reach the 100-win mark. The team once again qualified for the LSC Tournament with a 34-20 record and narrowly missed a berth into the NCAA Tournament. For the third consecutive season, Bruister's team led the conference in stolen bases with 162. The team also led the LSC in fielding percentage with a percentage of .973. The team finished in the top 25 in the nation in several categories including slugging percentage, scoring, home runs, double plays turned, on base percentage and stolen bases.

2017 marked a season of firsts for Bruister's Lions. Kinsie Hebler pitched the first two no hitters in program history. Mariah Jameyson was named NFCA National Player of the Week, the first such award recipient in school history. Hebler and Jameyson were named First Team All-LSC and they became the first two A&M-Commerce softball players to be named to the All-Region teams. Jameyson also became the program's first All-American, winning Second-Team honors from the NFCA, the D2CCA and FPN. Ciera Nunez, Baylea Higgs and Chealsea Slider also received All-Conference honors and Higgs, Slider and Tyler Oppenheim received Golden Gloves.

Bruister reached 400 wins in the 2016 season in his 11th season as a head coach, finishing the season with 412 career wins. The team made history in 2016, becoming the first team to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament in only its second season. The Lions made the South Central Regional tournament and had one win, ending the season with a 37-19 record. The team twice received votes in the NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for Division II softball, gaining national recognition from coaches across the country.
 
The team led the conference with 173 stolen bases and finished third in the NCAA with 3.09 stolen bases per game. The team finished second in the LSC in batting average, RBIs and win-loss percentage. The team finished 35th in the NCAA in batting average, ninth in scoring and fourth in pitching.
 
Under coach Bruister, Luci Ponce was named First Team All-LSC, Kylene Hatton was named Second Team All-Conference and Baylea Higgs was named Third Team All-Conference. Ponce also received a Golden Glove Award for her play at first base. Right fielder Magan Lynch also received a Golden Glove.
 
Three Lions received player of the week honors: Ponce as hitter of the week and both Katie Dean and Selena Rima were named pitchers of the week. Ponce ranked 19th in the NCAA in RBIs, 25th in RBIs per game, 26th in home runs and 41st in home runs per game. Higgs led the LSC and ranked 13th in the NCAA in steals. Cherie Jackson ranked 51st in the NCAA in RBIs and 33rd in RBIs per game. Ciera Nuñez was 42nd in the NCAA in stolen bases.
 
In addition to excellence on the field, Hatton and teammate Monica Cherry also received CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-Academic Lone Star Conference honors. Hatton would go on to become the program’s first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree. 13 members of the team were named NFCA Division II Scholar All-Americans, maintaining a 3.5 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year.
 
During the inaugural 2015 season, Bruister and the Lions had a winning season with a record of 29-24, including an 18-16 record in the LSC. This is the best first year start to a program in modern NCAA Division II history.

Eleven Lions were named NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes. To obtain this award, an athlete must maintain a 3.5+ GPA throughout the active season. Team leader Tyler Oppenheim was named First Team All-Conference and was awarded a Golden Glove award. Lynch, Ponce and Aundria Zuniga-Romero were named Third Team All-Conference. The team led the LSC and ranked sixth in the NCAA in stolen bases, with four players finishing in the individual top 100 in stolen bases. Pitcher Courtney Moore led the LSC and was second in the NCAA in total saves. The team was fourth in pitching and fourth in fielding in the NCAA.
 
Before being named the head coach at A&M-Commerce, Bruister was the head coach at Texas Woman’s University from 2009-2013, establishing the Pioneers’ program as not just one of the best in the region, but in all of Division II. He had a record of 183-97 (.654) in his five years in Denton, including four consecutive appearances in the Lone Star Conference Championship and three trips to the NCAA tournament.
 
In the 2013 season, Bruister led TWU to its best season in program history, notching 51 victories en route to sweeping both the LSC regular season and tournament titles. The team ranked first in the NCAA South Central Region and went undefeated in four home tournament games, advancing to the NCAA Division II Softball National Championship for the first time in program history. Texas Woman's was ranked as high as sixth in the nation in 2013 as Bruister was named Coach of the Year by both the Lone Star Conference and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
 
During his time in Denton, Bruister oversaw a program that produced 33 All-LSC honors, 12 All-South Central Region selections and five All-Americans. Bruister also elevated the academic performance of his student-athletes. The 2011 squad placed an impressive third in the NFCA Division II Academic Top Ten Teams with a team GPA of 3.502. The Pioneers surpassed that in 2012 with a 3.510, best ever in the program's history.
 
Bruister came to Texas Woman's after a successful five-year run as the head softball coach at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas from 2004-08. The Lady Reddies compiled a 163-93 (.637) record under Bruister after posting a 46-143 mark in the five seasons prior to his arrival. Bruister won more than 30 games in three of his five years at HSU, including the 2008 campaign when the Lady Reddies went 39-18, tying the school record for most wins in a season.
 
Bruister’s coaching abilities at HSU helped produce 12 All-Gulf South Conference (GSC) first team performers, eight All-GSC second team members, two All-South Central Region first team selections, and two All-South Central Region second team players. Bruister also has his own Gulf South Conference hardware, as he took home the GSC Softball Coach of the Year trophy in 2004 after guiding the Lady Reddies to a sterling 34-13 record in his first season as a collegiate head coach.
 
Before his tenure at Henderson State, Bruister worked for three seasons (2001-03) as the Assistant Softball Coach at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi. He got his start in coaching with student assistant coaching stints at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., and Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss.
 
Bruister received his associate's degree from Hinds in 1997 and then went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 and his Master of Science degree in 2000 from Mississippi State. He and his wife, Kim, have three children: Cole, Anna Claire and Logan.

BRUISTER YEAR-BY-YEAR